Over the last several years, video game companies have been using Ancient Greece as a backdrop in visually spectacular new creations.
This is why we decided to create a list that will give you the all-time classics, as well as newer editions of video games that can transfer you back to the days of Ancient Greece in a matter of moments.
Before we reveal these, however, many would wonder why Ancient Greece has become so popular among video game creators and players of late.
Considering that thousands of years ago Greece had everything to offer as the ultimate setting—from stunning natural beauty, magic and powerful gods, to archaeological ruins (intact back in ancient times!), and culture, it’s no surprise we live in an era of ancient Greek mania.
Here are some of the best video games—old and new—that portray the glories of Ancient Greece.
1. Spartan Wars: Blood And Fire
This strategy-based video game has 155,000 five-star reviews out of a total of 220,000. It is a real-time mobile/tablet game, using beautifully-rendered animation, which allows you to build your own ancient Greek city.
“Spartan Wars: Blood and Fire” also allows you to assemble your own army to defend your land in the (unlikely!) event of “server vs. server wars.” The game was developed by Tap4Fun Corp. Ltd.
2. Hegemony Gold: Wars Of Ancient Greece
This real-time strategy video game is all about ancient Greece, and in particular, the military campaign of Phillip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.
This game is all about battles and strategy, all of which you map out before the actual battle begins. It was developed and published by Longbow Digital Arts Inc.
3. NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits
If all you want to do is experience what it would be like to be a mythical Greek god, in this video game, developed by the Spanish developers Over The Top Games, you can do exactly that! You can play as two protagonists, known as Icarus and Nyx, who are given special powers by the Greek gods Zeus and Eolus, as they go on adventures and conquer the land.
4. 0 A.D.
Developed by Wildfire Games, this game is quite accurate regarding the historical facts of Greek civilization from 500 B.C. to 1 B.C. There is even an updated scenario that focuses on 1 A.D. to 500 A.D. This is a free, open-source, real-time strategy video game that will take you through the best—and worst—of times in the history of Greek civilization!
5. Okhlos
This game was developed by the Argentina-based studio Coffee Powered Machine and published by Devolver Digital. It is also based in ancient Greece and, of course, this means that the law of the land is that of the mythical Greek gods!
Okhlos is an action-packed game where the player is a scholar who doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the Greek gods and sets out on a mission to destroy them, recruiting a mob of angry Greeks to fight along with them.
6. Zeus: Master Of Olympus
When it comes to a city-building game series, this is one of the best which features Ancient Greece. You, as the player, are thrown into the ancient land during a time of great intrigue and adventure—where Greek gods, mythology, and legends all played a crucial role in society.
The game provides several options for players, including a story mode, missions mode, and a sandbox mode. This is the fifth stand-alone game in the series by Impressions Games’ City Building.
7. Spartan: Total Warrior
Brought to you by Creative Assembly, in this “hack-and-slash” video game, you are a Spartan warrior who is under the tutelage of none other than Aris, the Greek god of war! This game is all about defending ancient Greece from the invading Roman Empire.
8. Age of Mythology
This game features significant elements from Greek mythology along with that of Egyptian and Norse mythology. It is a real-time strategy game, developed by Ensemble Studios, which later went on to develop the popular Age of Empire series. Here, you will find all of the buildings and cityscapes of ancient Greece.
9. 300: March to Glory
Most modern theatergoers know the extremely popular recent movie “300.” Similarly, in the “300: March To Glory” game, the player is Leonidas, the ruler of Sparta, before the time of the famous battle of Thermopylae.
Inspired by the movie and comic book which were very popular at the time of its creation, the game was developed by Collision Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games. “300: March to Glory” gives the player the chance to rewrite history…and who wouldn’t want to be able to do that?
10. God of War
God of War is a bloody, battle-filled adventure and strategy game also set in ancient Greece. Developed by Santa Monica Studios, it revolves around Kratos, the protagonist, who encounters all of the most well-known Greek gods of Greek mythology. The graphics are quite detailed, as Kratos completes his “quests” while taking players through ancient landscapes.
11. Odyssey–Assassin’s Creed
Throughout the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, players are confronted with an array of political and scientific themes, such as democracy vs. tyranny, myth vs. science, and order vs. chaos. The game takes place in ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian Wars.
Ubisoft Quebec, the studio behind the popular Assassin’s Creed syndicate, truly went the extra mile to ensure the authenticity of ancient Greece in their new Odyssey game by depicting ancient Athens as a colorful, vibrant, multi-faceted city with many districts to explore.
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